Lawyer: Sentsov "on the brink", compulsory feeding may start soon

The wrongfully-imprisoned Ukrainian film director continues his hunger strike demanding the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia.

Photo from UNIAN

It has been three weeks since the Kremlin's political prisoner, Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who has been illegally convicted on "terrorism" charges in Russia, has gone on a hunger strike, and his condition has been deteriorating accordingly.

"Sentsov continues his hunger strike, it has already been three weeks. Dmitry Dinze, who is his lawyer in the criminal case, is now in Labytnangi [a city in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District where the colony is located]," Sentsov's attorney at a trial stage, Olga Dinze, told a Kyiv press conference Wednesday, an UNIAN correspondent reports.

"Sentsov's health status currently leaves much to be desired. As explained by lawyer Dmitry Dinze, he [Sentsov] is now at the brink. He was recently examined in a local hospital. He was specifically taken to a local hospital [outside prison], which is a really rare occurrence for the colony. He has been examined - his condition is deteriorating due to the hunger strike," Olga Dinze said.

According to her, if Sentsov's health condition further worsens, then, most likely, doctors will decide on his compulsory feeding, "since they cannot allow him dying in the colony."

As UNIAN reported, Sentsov was detained by FSB operatives in Crimea in the spring of 2014. He was transferred to Russia, where he was tried on trumped-up charges of plotting terrorist attacks and arson of party offices on the peninsula.

The Russian court in August 2015 sentenced Sentsov to 20 years in prison.

On May 14, Sentsov announced an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of all 64 Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin.

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